P4 1.6@2.3 -->XP2500+, worth it?

[kckev]

Current system:
P4 1.6@2.3 (144x16)
Asus P4S533
Samsung 512MB ram @376Mhz
Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm

There is a chance for me to sell this so that w/ not too much money i can get myself a new system

Ideal system:
XP2500+ (hopefully i can o/c it to 3200+ speed)
Abit NF7-S
2x256 Samsung PC3200 (can't afford ocz or corsair so i decided to play cheap :Q)
Seagate SATA 80GB 7200rpm

I wonder whether i willl get a decent performance boost?? i don't wanna waste $ if i can't notice any difference.....
The system will mainly for gaming, web-browsing, mp3'ing..........
Ideas and inputs are welcome, thanx in advance

 

[McArra]

Nice change!

 

[stevejst]

Pentium 2.4B is $160-165 retail and you can use it on your motherboard. You can overclock it to 2.8 GHz (unless your BIOS maxes out on 2.7 GHz?) and that is at least as good as Barton 3200 or better. And it is cheaper for you, since you already have a decent motherboard, than NF7 + Barton 2500 + cooler. Keep in mind that with Intel stock cooler you can do this overclock while for overclocking Barton 2500 to 2.2 GHz you'll need $20-30 cooler too (Thermalright SK-7 will be barely adequate).
Another thing - NF7 is picky about memory, my Samsung TCB3(C) maxes out on 187 FSB while on Intel motherboard it goes all the way up to 220 FSB.

 

[Cesar]

Originally posted by: stevejst
Pentium 2.4B is $160-165 retail and you can use it on your motherboard. You can overclock it to 2.8 GHz (unless your BIOS maxes out on 2.7 GHz?) and that is at least as good as Barton 3200 or better. And it is cheaper for you, since you already have a decent motherboard, than NF7 + Barton 2500 + cooler. Keep in mind that with Intel stock cooler you can do this overclock while for overclocking Barton 2500 to 2.2 GHz you'll need $20-30 cooler too (Thermalright SK-7 will be barely adequate). Another thing - NF7 is picky about memory, my Samsung TCB3(C) maxes out on 187 FSB while on Intel motherboard it goes all the way up to 220 FSB.

Forget what he says your change is good!

 

[txxxx]

'The system will mainly for gaming, web-browsing, mp3'ing'
No

 

[touchmyichi]

Well if no apps are really pushing your system, then why upgrade? What video card do you have? If your into gaming and have something below geforce 3 level, I would upgrade that first. If not, the 2.4 B thing that stevejst suggested would work well. Luckily for you though, p4's hold up their value very well and your system could be sold for a good amount. Enough so that you will end up paying less than stevejst suggested. So if you can get a good person to rip off and you need the power, go for it.

 

[render]

change is good. I've changed/upgraded my system 3 times in the last 6 months.

 

[kckev]

thanx for giving me advice on this guys.....

one main thing that holds me back is my mb doesn't have a AGP/PCI lock, so 144 buss is max out for me....even if i get a 2.4B (18x133) i could only get 2.6 @ 144 ........a merely 300mhz upgrade...........

the memory thingy is also concern, i might end up buying those OCZ or Corsair instead to ensure 200 fbs.....or i may just keep my hd n spend those extra $ on these memory.......

the reason i'm upgrading is that my P4 still hold it value pretty good, i dont' wanna wait until my P4 become obsolete then get an entire new system, that's y i wanna do some upgrading now......n btw, i'm using radeon 9100 @ (290/245)

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: stevejst
Pentium 2.4B is $160-165 retail and you can use it on your motherboard. You can overclock it to 2.8 GHz (unless your BIOS maxes out on 2.7 GHz?) and that is at least as good as Barton 3200 or better. And it is cheaper for you, since you already have a decent motherboard, than NF7 + Barton 2500 + cooler. Keep in mind that with Intel stock cooler you can do this overclock while for overclocking Barton 2500 to 2.2 GHz you'll need $20-30 cooler too (Thermalright SK-7 will be barely adequate).
Another thing - NF7 is picky about memory, my Samsung TCB3(C) maxes out on 187 FSB while on Intel motherboard it goes all the way up to 220 FSB.

I agree about the keeping the MOBO part, but there is no way a 2.8B is out performing a 3200+

 

[stevejst]

I agree about the keeping the MOBO part, but there is no way a 2.8B is out performing a 3200+

I didn't even say outperforming. They are comparable with synthetic benches just an inch on 2.8 B advantage while on application benches they are fairly similar. I am not the only one saying that. I run Barton at 2.2 GHz on my home PC and I run Pentium IV C at 3 GHz, and there is no way Barton can match that. I am usually reading hardware reviews and I've seen enough benches to make my own conclusions. Barton 3200+ is a sci-fi denomination, in reality that is comparable to Northwood B running cool 2.8 GHz. Northwood C kills that at 2.6 GHz already.
AMD has fallen way behind, that is a conclusion of majority reviews recently.

Download PCMark 2002 and Sandra and bench it yourself, you'll see what I am talking about. Northwood C 2.8 scorches every AMD processor. Besides 2.4C can easily be overclocked 3+ GHz on defaults with stock cooler while Barton 3200+ cannot go anywhere without some serious watercooling and voltage increases.